Electric switch.



G. B. THOMAS & E. ANDERSON.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1913.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

nil no.

GEORGE B. THOMAS AND ERIC ANDERSON, 0F BRIDGEPQRT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS T0 THE BRYANT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC swrrcn.

Patented Apr. ltd, 1916.

Application filed match 6, 1913. Serial No. 752,481.

use in electric lamp sockets. and the object of our invention is to provide a switch of the general character of that shown in the Clauder Patent 1,055,137 dated Marchd,

1913, but of simplified and improved construction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure '1 is a broken vertical section through an electric lamp socket in which our invention is embodied in one form; Fig. 2 is a similar section at right angles thereto and omitting the socket casing and shell terminal; Fig. 3 is a perspective of the switch mechanism; Fig. 4 is a perspective of the switch piece and its sleeve bearing detached; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the detent disk; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 7is a perspective of the switch spindle; Fig. 8 is a perspective of the cam yoke; Fig. 9 is a perspective of one of the switch terminals; Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the switch frame; and Fig. 11 is a side elevation showing the position of the detent lugs about to enter the slots inthe stop plate.

The insulating body of, the socket may be of any suitable form, that preferred comprising, as here shown, two porcelain buttons A and B suitably recessed on their juxtaposed faces to form in assembled con dition a closed switch chamber, and perforated to permit the passage therethrough of the various securing screws. Terminal brackets 10 and 11 extend between the buttons at substantially diametrically opposite points and serve not only to unite the buttons but also to carry the binding screws 12 and 13 for the leading-in wires. The terminal bracket 10 is electrically connected directly to the lamp-receiving shell lt-on the button B by the screw 15. The other ter minal bracket 11 carries the-spring switch contact 16 which lies in the recess 17 in the switch chamber and leads the current through the switch piece to the opposite spring switch terminal'TB" when the switch is on. Angled wings 19 on the contact 16 form slideways which enable the contact to be readily slid into position and held on the upper end of bracket 11. A screw 20 permanently connects the switch terminal 18 with the center lamp contact 21 on the button B.

The switch mechanism is positioned in the switch chamber upon a switch frame 22 which. is here shown rigidly held in position by the securing screw 23. This frame comprises at one endof the base, an upstanding bearing lug 24 perforated to permit the switch spindle 25 to pass freely through and journal therein. At the other end, a second and larger upstanding in 26 is formed which is centrally perforate to permit the switch spindle to freely jonrnal therein, and in which are formed four radial recesses or slots'27 for a purpose about to be described.

Freelyjournaled on the switch spindle 25, is the rotary switch piece comprising contact barsav-y united at opposite ends by webs 28, 29, perforated to permit the passage of the switch spindle therethrough. The perforation 30 in web 28 is of greater diameter than the spindle to permit the adjustment of a bearing sleeve 31 therein, While radial slots 32 opening to the perforation in web 29 are provided to permit the passage therethrough of the fin 33 on the switch spindle during the assembly of the switch parts. Detent lugs 34: extending be yond the face of the web 29 are provided to engage in the radial slots 27 in the frame lug 26 and thus temporarily lock the switch piece in its on or oil position. In the .form shown, these lugs are angledover from a disk 35 independent of the switch piece, but pressed against the web 29 by the spring 36 so that the lugs are held in radial slots 37 in the web 29 and the parts are thus r0 tarily rigid with relation to each other. The end-faces of the lugs 34 are preferably oppositely beveled to insure a quick escapement and a certain stop of the switch piece in its several stop positions.

The operating cam 38 for the switch is formed on the perforated web 39 at one end of the yoke piece 40. The web 41 at the other end of the yoke is centrally perforated to form a bearing radially slotted at 42 to receive the fin 33 on the switch spindle. Tn assembledcondition this fin engages in the slots 42 and is of such length that the spindle and cam have sufficient longitudinal play with relation to each other in engaged condition, to permit of the operation of the switch. The opposite ends 4344 of a coil spring 45 confined on the spindle between opposite ends of the yoke piece 40, straddle the latter and one 'of the contact bars, viz. w, of the switch piece. The switch spindle is retained in position by a washer 46 which engages the same beyond the end frame lug 24, while the hub- 47 of the key 48 bears against the other frame l-ug 26 thus holding the key spindle against longitudinal displacement.

The operation of the switch is readily understood. Upon the rotation of the spindle 25 in either direction by means of the key 48, the yoke piece 40 engaged by the fin 33 on the spindle, is rotated with the latter, while the switch piece remains stationary by reason of the engagement of the detent lugs 34 in the slots 27 in the end frame lug 26. The rotation of the cam yoke .40 with relation to the switch piece places the coil spring 45 under tension. It also brings the cam 38 into engagement with the web 28 of the switch piece and displaces the latter longitudinally on the switch spindle, thereby compressing the spring 36 against the web 41 of the cam yoke. 'As soon as the switch piece has been longitudinally displaced far enough to free the detent lugs 34 from the slots 27, in the end frame 26, the spring 45 rotates the switch piece to its next position in which it is halted by the detents 84 which snap into the next pair of radial slots 27 under the influence of the spring 36. During the travel of the detents from one stop position to the next, the switch piece rides down the side of the cam 38 and under the influence of the spring 45 is longitudinally displaced on the switch spindle, returning to its position flush against the end frame. During this movement the disk 35 becomes spaced from the web 29 of theswitch piece being held away by the detent lugs 34 which are traveling over the inner face of the end frame 26 between the slots 27. This action is of value in making certain the operation of the stops, since the spring 36 is thereby relieved from the burden of shifting the switch piece back to position and exerts its whole strength upon the disk 35 when the stop lugs of the latter reach the slots 27 in the end frame 26.

- The opposite bevel of the ends of the stop lugs.34 has the efiect of tilting one of the lugs into its slot 27 ahead of the other, since one slides down its beveled end into its slot 27, while the other is still held out by reason of the fact that thecrest of its bevel is still in engagement with the flat face of the end frame 26. This action adds further certainty to the function of thedetents, since the one which is tilted down into its slot ahead of the other presents a fiat stop face to the edge of the slot 27 and is well down in the slot when en agement takes place.

Various modifications which do not depart from the invention illustratively embodied in the construction described and shown, will readily suggest themselves.

We claim as our invention p 1. An electric switch comprising a rotary switch spindle, a contact piece freely rotating on said spindle, a cam rotating with said spindle, a detent moving with said contact piece, a rigid stop frame for said detent, a switch spring engaging said cam and switch piece and a spring between said cam and detent tendin to hold said detent in engagement with .said stop frame.

2. In an electric switch, a rotary switch piece and .an independent detent moving therewith, a rigid stop plate, a spring tending to keep said detent in engagement with said switch piece and stop plate,-in combination with an independent spring for operating the rotary switch piece and a rotaryoperating member engaged by said switch spring and serving to place the latter under tension.

3.- In an electric switch, a rotary switch.

spindle, a switch piece freely rotatable thereon and having limited freedom of longitudinal displacement thereon, said switch piece comprising contact elements and webs connecting the opposite ends thereof, through which said spindle passes, a cam moving with the spindle and bearing against one end web to displace the switch piece longitudinally on the spindle in one direction, a switch spring engaging said switch piece to rotate the same in either direction and serving on compression to displace said switch piece on the spindle in a direction opposite to that occasioned by the said cam, together with a stop mechanism and an independent spring serving to operate the latter to halt the switch piece after rotation through a quarter turn on the spindle. 4

4. In.an electric switch, a rotary switc spindle, a switch piece freely rotating thereon-and comprising contact pieces and webs uniting the ends thereof through which said spindle passes, in combination with a yoke piece comprising connected webs held against rotation on said spindle between the ends of said'switch piece, a switch spring mounted on said spindle within said yoke piece and engaging the latter and the switch piece, a cam on said yoke engaging said switch piece to longitudinally displace same on the spindle, detents moving with the switch piece, a stop plate, and a spring between the yoke and detents to press the latter against the stop plate.

5. In an electric switch, contact members and a web connecting the same and having guide apertures formed therein, a detent piece having detent lugs passing through said guide apertures in the Web, spring means for rotating said contact members in either direction and a fixed stop plate adjacent said web and apertured to receive said detent lugs, substantially as described.

6: In an electric switch, a switch spindle rotatable in either direction, a switch spring tensioned thereby.' a rotary switch piece actuated by said spring, a stop plate having apertures, and detent lugs moving with said switch piece and engaging in said apertures to halt the switch piece, said lugs having their bearing ends beveled in opposite directions, for the purpose specified.-

7. In an electric switch, rotary contact members and a web connecting the same, said web having guide apertures formed therein, a detent piece yieldably supported against said web and having a pair of detent lugs passing through said guide apertures in the web, a flat stop plate adjacent the web having apertures in which the detent lugs engage, said lugs having peripherally adjacent faces serving as stops and bearing ends on which said detent is supported as it travels between successive stop positions, said bearing ends being oppositely beveled to permit one of said lugs to run down in its aperture in the stop plate on the rotation of the switchpiece in one direction and the other of said lugs to run down in its aperture in the stop plate on the rotation of the switch piece in the opposite direction.

8. In an electric switch, a radially slotted stop plate, a switch piece journaled in said plate and stop lugs moving with said switch piece and engaging in the slots of said stop plate to halt the switch piece, upon its rotation in either direction.

9. In an electric switch, a switch frame comprising a base and upstanding end frames, one of said frames having a bearing aperture and a series of stop apertures radi ally arranged with relation to said bearing aperture in combination with a switch piece journaled in said plate and stop lugs moving with said switch'piece and engaging in the slots of said stop plate to halt the switch piece upon its rotation in either direction.

10. In an electric switch, a switch piece struck from sheet metal and bent to shape, said switch piece comprising rotary contact bars spaced apart and connected at their opposite ends by webs lying in parallel planes at right angles to the plane of the contact bars, and perforated in register to receive a switch spindle, one of said webs being radially recessed on opposite sides of said perforation to receive the lugs of an independent detent plate.

In testimony-whereof We have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses G. W. G oomsmen, H. M. Wrcmmr.

caplet of thit patent may be attained for five acute each, by addresses, time @euaruiuaioner at .ttetcn'm Washington, D. E. 

